You can’t have escaped the fashion for so called Pashmina shawls over the last few years. In Victorian times everyone wanted a similar thing – the Paisley Shawl.
Here’s a typical portrait of a genteel lady draped in her Paisley by Eduard Freidrich Leybold painted in 1824.
Antique Paisley shawls are hugely collectable and they have a whole gallery devoted to them in a museum in, guess where, yes, Paisley.
www.renfrewshireleisure.com/paisleymuseum/textile-collection/
There were many famous centres of shawl production such as Edinburgh and Norwich in Britain as well as French and European manufacturers.
But the name ‘Paisley’ has become ubiquitous for the distinctive teardrop design, which originated in Kashmir, that appears in endless permutations in these shawls, either covering the whole garment or in a broad border on a white or black centre.
Some are large enough to be used as a tablecloth
and others would make a fabulous bed-cover. There’s a great blog about the history of the Paisley Shawl from a group of contemporary Scottish artisans who are seeking inspiration in traditional crafts: https://artisansinscotland.wordpress.com/paisley-shawl/ – it’s an interesting read if yo have time. Here’s a taster:
‘Paisley shawl making was part of the fashion industry and consequently the demand could fluctuate dramatically. During a downturn in trade in 1842, Queen Victoria famously purchased seventeen Paisley shawls, which she wore on notable occasions, including the christening of the Prince of Wales the same year.Her frequent visits to Scotland and widely reported display of Paisley shawls as part of her dress, even in old age, were important for giving periodic boosts to the industry, as in 1888 at the time of the ‘golden jubilee’. She and other members of the royal family regularly received gifts of Paisley shawls, which were described in the press. The Princess of Wales received one to mark her wedding in 1863 and the tradition continued into the twentieth century, with antique shawls presented to Princess Mary for the royal wedding of 1922 and another to the Queen on the occasion of a visit to Paisley in 1938.’
I think they are gorgeous and if she’s got one
The Paisley Shawl by Frances Henry Newbery, Paisley Art Institute Collection.
I want one too!
